Mastodon’s Hinds sticks to his guns

Mainman Brent rejected parent’s advice so he could pursue a musical career

Mastodon’s Brent Hinds says his parents warned him against pursuing a music career as the chances of him being successful were “one in a million.”

He tells PartySmasherInc's Ben Weinman: “My dad warned me, ‘what you’re going to try to do for a living is a one in a million chance. Hardly anyone makes it in the music business. You need to go to college, get a proper education and raise a family – that’s a guaranteed good living.’

“I said, ‘Thanks dad, but no thanks, I’m going to give this music thing a chance.'"

And he says the reason he did make it was because of his Mastodon band members Troy Sanders, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor

He continues: “I met the right bunch of guys that had the same vision I did and they were willing to be hungry with me and willing to eat sardines and live on mustard and stuff like that. That's the demographic you have to form with other guys in order to get to where we are now."

Hinds also reveals that when he’s off the road, he likes to get creative by painting and sculpting as this stops him from feeling “worthless.”

He adds: “That’s what completes me. It’s my other medium of art: painting, drawing and wood sculpting. Without it, I feel like I’m worthless. When I’m off tour, I still have to do art to feel like I’m worth something.”

Dillinger Escape Plan's Weinman and Hinds will continue work on the Giraffe Tongue Orchestra project this year, which also includes former Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery and ex-Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore.

Mastodon have a UK tour coming up, which takes in nine dates across the country supporting their sixth album Once More ‘Round The Sun.